1 Aug 2019 20:05

No reason to talk about collapse of Donbas ceasefire agreements effective since July 21 - Ukraine's Chief of General Staff

KYIV. Aug 1 (Interfax) - The sporadic violations of the Donbas truce effective since 12:01 a.m. on July 21 on the part of the unrecognized republics cannot be described as a breach of the ceasefire agreements made in Minsk, Chief of the General Staff and Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Ruslan Khomchak said.

All political speculation on the subject is not relevant and can only impede the efforts of Ukraine's Joint Forces accomplishing their tasks, Khomchak said.

"Units and formations of the Joint Forces are demonstrating a firm stance on maintaining a sustainable ceasefire. Over the 11 days since the truce began, there have been no combat losses among the personnel," Khomchak said in his address on July 31, commenting on how the Donbas truce was being observed.

Interfax has the text of Khomchak's address.

Only isolated instances of ceasefire violation on the part of Donbas self-proclaimed republics, the Luhansk People's Republic and Donetsk People's Republic, are taking place, he said.

The current situation as a whole may not be regarded as a collapse of the agreements reached in Minsk on July 17, he said.

"As far as we can see, they [agreements on a ceasefire beginning on July 21] are working. And therefore certain political speculation on this subject is unwarranted and harmful for Joint Forces Operation units continuing to perform their duties," he said.

If there is a critical escalation along the contact line, Ukraine's forces are ready to respond rapidly and appropriately to any threats from the adversary, Khomchak said.